How do I get started?

Do I have to sign a contract?

No. You will need to pay for the first month of your membership when you start. After that we use a billing company that will arrange monthly payments via electronic transfer from a checking or savings account or credit card. For your convenience, you may also use a payment book in the style of car payments. This arrangement allows members to pay on a monthly basis rather than on the old three or six-months at a time basis that required periodic lump-sum payments. The agreement is for a basic enrollment period of six months. There is no binding language and you can opt out at any time, for any reason, with 30 days’ written notice.

How old must my child be to start judo?

Although we accept children as young as five on a case by case basis, a better starting age may be 6 or 7 for some children. The starting age will depend on a child's maturity level, attention span, interest, and sports background.

Am I too old to start Judo?

That really depends on how old you think you are, and what kind of physical and medical condition you are in. We have students who begin Judo well into their forties. Judo is a sport that you can practice beyond your sixties.

How fit must I be before I can start training?

If you wait until you are fit, you'll never start Judo! So, come in with whatever fitness level you have, and we will work with you at your current level – and if you stay with it, you can expect to improve significantly in the fitness area.

Will I need special equipment?

The only equipment you'll need is a Judo uniform, which you can purchase directly from our supplier and they will ship directly to your home. For your convenience, pre-paid orders can also be made through the club.

What will my first lessons consist of?

Since our classes consist of students with a variety of Judo experience, you will participate at your own pace in a general warm-up and stretching period. After that, you will be assigned an assistant coach or a senior student to teach you some basic skills. You will probably get your first taste of sparring, or free fighting, toward the end of your first practice. Of course, it'll be with a very accommodating training partner who will help reinforce some of the skills you learned in your first lesson. This will last until you are capable of participating more fully with the rest of the class.

Do I practice with less or more experienced people?

You will be paired up with a variety of training partners, all of whom will be there to help you learn Judo in a positive environment.

Benefits of Judo

Is Judo appropriate for girls or women?

Very much so! In our opinion, females need Judo more than males do. According to many statistics, as many as one in three females will be subjected to an assault, mugging or rape in her lifetime! We believe that Judo training will give females the physical strength, mental toughness and self-defense tools to better handle an assault. Judo will also help females develop assertiveness and confidence to face the day to day hurdles in today's society.

“Judo will make your daughter feel the sense of herself as a powerful person. She will doubt herself less. She will accept discourteous, inconsiderate and inappropriate behavior less because she doesn't have to. She will face life unafraid.” – from one of our great Champions

Will Judo help me defend myself?

Judo is highly effective for self-defense precisely because it is a combative sport. Judo's detractors will tell you that Judo isn't effective for self-defense because it's a sport. On the other hand, the same detractors will tell you that boxing, which is another Olympic sport, is effective for self-defense. Go figure!

The competitive element in Judo training prepares you for a more realistic self-defense situation, especially since Judo involves both standing and ground fighting skills. There are no forms, "air bashing", kicks or punches in Judo. You will train with real training partners, who fight back, who will better prepare you for an real interaction. This live training will become so natural that if an attack comes, instead of hitting them with your hand or foot, you throw them, and hit them with the sidewalk.

Will Judo help me in other sports?

Judo athletes have excelled in other sports. As a matter of fact, one of our current Champions just won the French National Jujitsu Championship – and we have had several who have won State wrestling championships, earned NCAA scholarships and even gone on to medal internationally in wrestling. Judo provides a natural complement and expansion to wrestling skills. Judo will improve your balance, coordination, kinesthetic awareness, strength, physical and mental toughness, and self-confidence. - and it will make you a better athlete.

Will judo help me be a better high school wrestler?

Absolutely! As a matter of fact we don't understand why every wrestler isn't also a Judo player. Wrestlers who do Judo become better wrestlers. Wrestlers will benefit from Judo's emphasis on leverage and finesse, and will learn a different set of combative techniques to complement their wrestling skills.